By Dr Dan Plumley

11th Jan, 2022 | 5:00pm

Finance guru salutes 'phenomenal' Arsenal after what he's seen behind the scenes

Arsenal deserve huge credit for their “phenomenal” work in the community.

That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Gunners’ latest community initiative.

Arsenal wore all-white kits in the 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday (9 January) to raise awareness of the No More Red campaign.

The initiative between Arsenal and technical sponsors Adidas aims to tackle knife crime in London

The all-white kits are not commercially available and will instead be awarded to individuals making a difference in the community.

Plumley revealed that he has seen the good work of the programme first-hand and hailed those responsible for the campaign.

“It’s a really good news story,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.

“It’s a great example of how football clubs can engage with community outreach.

“I visited that community programme a few years ago and took some students down.

“They are a club that does a lot of work in the community. We just don’t get to see it all the time.

“They are a phenomenal outfit and a great example of how this can work. It’s a great cause and the coverage it got on ITV was great.

“That wider exposure is brilliant. Football clubs are front and centre of their communities. This is a top example of how to use that platform.”‘

As quoted by Sky Sports on Sunday (9 January), homegrown Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Row said he was “proud to be a part of” the initiative.

Arsenal signed a five-year deal with Adidas in 2018.

In other news, Folarin Balogun undergoes Middlesbrough medical after seven-figure Arsenal fee agreed.